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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28739205">The Curse of the Sakura Tree</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/impudent_strumpet/pseuds/impudent_strumpet'>impudent_strumpet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yandere Simulator (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Romance, Baked Goods, Baking, Betrayal, Blood and Violence, Bullying, Canon Dialogue, Canon Era, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Chapter 10 is really sad, Chatting &amp; Messaging, Comic Relief, Cooking, Cupcakes, Cyberbullying, Double Entendre, Drowning, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotions, Explosions, Female Characters, High School, Insecurity, Inspired by Fanart, Jealousy, Jealousy breaks your brain, Killing, Loneliness, Love Confessions, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Murder, Name Changes, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, POV Female Character, Performing Arts, Plot Twists, Rage, Rejection, Revenge, Rivalry, Romance, Running, Secret Identity, Secrets, Sexual Harassment, Sins of Youth, Sins of the Father, Sneakiness, Sneaking Around, Social Anxiety, Some comic relief, Spying, Suicide, Suicide Notes, Swimming, Swimming Pools, Teen Romance, Texting, Tragedy, Tragic Romance, Unrequited Love, Work In Progress, Yandere, social sabotage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:15:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,510</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28739205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/impudent_strumpet/pseuds/impudent_strumpet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A kind and innocent young man, ten girls, and one determined to make the boy hers at all costs. A mythical cherry blossom tree under which each girl plans to confess her love to the boy, surrounded by red spider lilies. All within the grounds of a high school with a once shining reputation that was tainted years ago by numerous deaths on campus, said to have been caused by a murderous schoolgirl there. The one suspected to be behind this, Ryoba Aishi, was declared innocent, but the unsavory rumors still linger. </p>
<p>What could happen next?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ayano Aishi | Yandere-chan &amp; Info-chan, Ayano Aishi | Yandere-chan/Taro Yamada | Senpai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/741906">Koishiteru: I Love You To Death</a> by FluorescenceFuture.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So...I'm back. With this.</p>
<p>I've been following Yan Sim's development for the past six years and, yes, I know about all the controversy, which I'm really torn about. This was actually inspired by a Yan Sim AU that I really like, the writer of which shares my sentiments on Yandere Simulator and its developer. You can see where I stand there in a comment on the AU masterpost --&gt; https://www.reddit.com/user/FluorescenceFuture/comments/ijry0o/yandere_simulator_rewrite_masterpost/ (My username is Yanakura.)</p>
<p>But anyways, I wanted to expand on Fluor's AU whilst still keeping some canon elements and adding some of my own things, so that's what this is about. If it sucks, it's because I'm out of practice.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had all started when she was in middle school.</p>
<p>She had been far too shy and anxious to befriend her classmates. Every time she tried, she became keenly self-conscious and felt that she sounded stupid and unlikable. She just couldn’t find her place among them. There had always been something that set her apart and ostracized her. Was it because she had always been different from the rest of them, less open in expressing joy, sadness, and anger? Her mother had said this was nothing to worry about, but her father had always been deeply concerned over it. She pitied him for that.</p>
<p>So she just watched her peers around her with their friends, even as she felt the pang of loneliness each time. She didn’t know what else to do.</p>
<p>Her world slowly seemed duller, grayer, and darker with each passing day. Until…</p>
<p>She had been sitting on a bench on the school rooftop, with her bento box in her lap, waiting for lunchtime to finish, when a boy sat next to her. Startled, she turned to him. It was Takao Suzuki, her <em>senpai</em>.</p>
<p>He smiled at her. “Hey. You’re Ayano Aishi, right?”</p>
<p>He knew her name?</p>
<p>Suddenly aware of how bewildered she must have looked, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Even worse. She averted her gaze. “I, um, yes. That’s me. I’m in Class 2-1.”</p>
<p>Tentatively, she looked back up at him. He was still smiling. “I’m Takao Suzuki, from Class 3-3. I noticed you were alone here, and I don’t like to see anyone left out. So I thought I’d stay with you for the rest of lunch period, if that’s alright.”</p>
<p>“Ohh, yeah. That’s alright, of course,” Ayano said.</p>
<p>This was the first time all year someone had actually decided to talk to her. She had forgotten what that felt like. Maybe this was just a small gesture for the boy, but it meant so much to Ayano. She swallowed, trying to ground herself, but she was shaking despite it.</p>
<p>“Are you ok?” Takao’s friendly smile was replaced by a look of concern.</p>
<p>Ayano looked at him questioningly, until she realized her cheeks were wet. Oh no.</p>
<p>“I...I’m sorry. I don’t have a lot of friends, so…” she stammered, choking back a sob.</p>
<p>Takao pulled something out of his pocket then and handed it to her. “Here.”</p>
<p>It was a cloth napkin, embroidered with a cherry blossom pattern.</p>
<p>“Please, don’t worry about me--”</p>
<p>“No, take it,” Takao insisted, sympathy in his eyes.</p>
<p>Ayano did so, drying her tears with the soft cloth, that she noticed kind of smelled like Takao, earning a small smile from her. Seeing this, her senpai smiled back in relief.</p>
<p>Then the bell sounded.</p>
<p>Takao stood up, prompting Ayano to hold out the napkin to him in return.</p>
<p>He shook his head. “No, you can keep it.”</p>
<p>Ayano’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Takao said. “We’re friends now, aren’t we?”</p>
<p>She wasn’t sure how to take that...but she really didn’t want to ruin this. “Yeah.” She nodded. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>“See you around then.” He started to turn to leave…</p>
<p>
  <em>Had he just winked at her.</em>
</p>
<p>Taking deep breaths and clutching the napkin tightly, she felt something well up in her heart for this boy. A longing. A yearning. It was like he had just filled her world with color and light, breathed life into her spirit. Was he the one she had been waiting for?</p>
<p>“Aishi-san! Come on or you’ll be late for class!” came a voice -- was that Saki Mayuzumi? -- snapping her out of her stupor.</p>
<p>“Ohh, right,” she replied, taking her bookbag and scrambling to her feet.</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p><br/>Since Takao was her <em>senpai</em>, Ayano didn’t have any classes with him, and he only spoke to her in passing at school. But she cherished every moment. They quickly became all she would look forward to. He was her only real friend and the only light in her life.</p>
<p>She felt the loss after he graduated, so she made sure to keep in touch. She yearned for him even more in his absence, and hoped she was still half as special to him as he was to her. She found out he had started high school at the prestigious Sakuragi Academy, so she worked hard to be accepted and asked her father to enroll her, all to be with the one she loved.</p>
<p>She found him at the gates on her first day of high school...but her heart slammed into her chest to see him talking to a pretty girl.</p>
<p>He seemed more popular at Sakuragi, especially with girls. Many of those that surrounded him had prettier, shinier hair and eyes, larger breasts, more prominent curves, cuter clothes, more vibrant personalities. Yet again Ayano found herself acutely aware of how plain she was by comparison. If Takao had his pick from all of them, why would he ever choose her? She would be alone all over again.</p>
<p>She couldn’t go back to that. She had to make him hers, and keep him.</p>
<p>By any means she decided necessary.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>How did I get this done within like 30 minutes...I don't even know.</p><p>Anyways, introducing Haruka Kokona! As I said, this is derived in part from FluorescenceFuture's Yan Sim AU, so that's why some things are different. I'm also keeping some canon elements and adding my own things. I figured I should introduce the first rival in this chapter, and decided to expand on Fluor's rewrite here --&gt; https://www.reddit.com/r/Osana/comments/i1t941/rewrites_and_redesigns_haruka_kokona_rival_1/</p><p>Also, yes, I changed Asu Rito's name to Yoko Suzukaze here. Yoko (陽子) means "sunshine child," alluding to both her as an athlete and as a genki girl, and Suzukaze (涼風) means "cool, refreshing wind," also referring to her as an athlete, specifically a runner. I came up with a bunch of different name ideas for the rivals before I even heard of this AU, so I'll be using those. But that's just for the rivals; I'm using Fluor's name for Senpai (Takao Suzuki) since I came up with FAR too many name ideas for him.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Haruka Kokona looked around nervously, the bright sun beating down on her and making her sweat. She had been trying to find her classroom...how had she gotten lost out here at the track? She would normally turn to Saki in a situation like this, but her best friend must already be in class. If they were in the same class, Saki would undoubtedly be wondering where Haruka was, but Haruka wasn’t sure if they had class together this period.</p><p>She sighed. The sun was hot today, and here she was outside in her long-sleeved uniform blazer and thick knee socks. She decided to take off the blazer and pull her socks down to her ankles. It looked like all she could do was wait here until next period, and it wasn’t like anyone was around to yell at her for uniform violations.</p><p>Well...almost.</p><p>It turned out, of course, there was a gym class out here a short distance away, where a group of boys had noticed Haruka effectively disrobing. They waved at her and let out some whistles and hoots, along with some unintelligible pickup lines.</p><p>Haruka sighed again. This was what she got, huh? Her uniform had always been too tight around the chest, and in just the short-sleeved blouse it was even more apparent. Other girls she knew told her of how blessed she was with her DD cup breasts, but all they seemed to have given her so far was trouble. All for something she had never asked for.</p><p>“Hey, leave her alone!” a loud voice shouted at the leering boys. It was ignored, until…</p><p>“If you three don’t back off of her, I’m not letting you in the sports club this year! I mean that!”</p><p>Haruka shielded her eyes from the sun to see who was defending her. It was Yoko Suzukaze, the president of the sports club. She was said to be a <em>genki</em> girl, always sprightly, full of energy, and determined to meet her every goal. She definitely looked the part of the sports club leader, with her sun-bleached hair, tanned skin, and impressive muscles. Haruka wondered why the boys didn’t go for her.</p><p>They probably respected their leader too much. She was a commanding, outspoken presence, and Haruka suspected she could outdo them in at least some number of sports competitions. Not like scatterbrained, nervous Haruka, especially amidst the rumors back in middle school of her...after-school activities in Shisuta Town.</p><p>“Uhm, are you lost?”</p><p>Haruka jumped and spun around. It was Takao Suzuki, the boy she had talked to on the first day...and already had a slight attraction to, when she had seen how his sepia hair was tousled by the wind and his brown eyes shone in the sunlight.</p><p>“Hi, Suzuki-senpai! Umm...yeah. I have no idea how I got here, but...it’s really embarrassing.” Haruka quickly picked up her blazer and bookbag, draping her blazer over her forearms and holding it close to her chest.</p><p>“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Takao smiled. “It’s only your first day. What class were you looking for?”</p><p>Haruka blushed as she found herself twirling a strand of light violet hair around her finger. <em>One totally removed from the rest of the school out on the track, apparently.</em> “Class 1-4. How did you find me?”</p><p>“I saw you out the window,” Takao explained.</p><p>Haruka immediately wanted to die. “Oh, God. Who knows how many people have seen me…”</p><p>Takao shook his head. “It happens to the best of us. Come on, I’ll take you to class.”</p><p>“Thanks so much.”</p><p>“No problem.”</p><p><br/>~</p><p><br/>“You ended up out on the track?!” Saki burst out laughing.</p><p>“Stop it!” Haruka sputtered. “I’m really embarrassed!”</p><p>“Sorry!” Saki’s laughing died down. “But I heard a certain Takao Suzuki found you there and took you to class.” She smirked.</p><p>Haruka reddened. “Th-That’s not important.”</p><p>“Hell yeah it is!” Saki chirped. “So, how did it go?”</p><p>“Ohh, you know.” Haruka lowered her eyes and clutched her books to her chest nervously.</p><p>Saki immediately knew what she meant. “Oh, come on! He really doesn’t seem like one of those guys!”</p><p>“That’s all that guys like me for, Saki-chan. And he doesn’t even know me that well.”</p><p>“But that can always change!” Saki assured her.</p><p>“What else would he like about me?”</p><p>“Lots of things! You’re bubbly and sweet and funny and kind...he just needs to get to know you a little better.”</p><p>“Heh...they say that love confessions made under the school’s cherry blossom tree promise good luck for the couple.” Haruka smiled. “I like to think sometimes that could be Takao and me one day.”</p><p>“See? You have that to look forward to!” Saki beamed. “But it won’t happen if you don’t make a move!”</p><p><em>Or if I make one</em>, thought another girl from Haruka’s class as she skulked around the lockers watching the two, a dark, possessive glint in her eyes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some canon dialogue this time. But this will probably be the bulk of it, since there isn't much else in the game not pertaining to Kokona.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>Hey.</strong> </em>
</p><p>The one-word text showed up on Ayano’s phone out of nowhere that night. From a number she didn’t recognize, too. Who could it be?</p><p><em>Do I know you?</em> she texted back.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>I saw you stalking an upperclassman today.</strong> </em>
</p><p>Ever since she had seen him at the school gate with another girl, Ayano had felt fiercely, violently possessive of her senpai. And this time when she saw the girl walking him home, she felt propelled to follow and keep an eye on him.</p><p>She had thought no one would find out. Not that there was nothing she could do about it.</p><p>
  <em>I’m sorry, there must be some misunderstanding.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>There’s no need to play dumb with me. I’m trying to help you. Want some information about the girl he was with?</em> </strong>
</p><p>Information, huh?</p><p>
  <em>I’m listening.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Her name is Haruka Kokona. She has a crush on him.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>She’s planning to confess to him next Friday...underneath the cherry tree behind the school.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>There’s a myth that if you confess your love to someone underneath that tree, the person you confess to can’t refuse.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Why are you telling me this?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>I would be happy if something bad happened to Kokona-san. I think you might be the right person to give her what she deserves.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Who are you?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Have you ever heard of “Info-chan”?</em> </strong>
</p><p>Oh.</p><p>
  <em>An urban legend about a girl who hacks people and sells their dirty secrets to the highest bidder. </em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>That’s just the tip of the iceberg. I sell a lot more than just blackmail.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Are you trying to tell me that you’re Info-chan? Do you really expect me to believe that?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>I’ve installed an app on your phone. Take a look.</em> </strong>
</p><p>There it was. An icon of a faceless girl with glasses. What.</p><p>
  <em>How did you do that?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>That’s not something you need to be concerned with.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>If you do a few small favors for me, I can offer you a wide variety of services that should help you eliminate Kokona-san. Everything you need to know is in that app.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>And what if I don’t want anything to do with you?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>If you’re not interested in my services, I won’t take it personally. Feel free to ignore me.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>But DON’T ignore Kokona-san. You have one week until she confesses to your precious </em>senpai<em>.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Make her suffer.</em> </strong>
</p><p><br/>~</p><p><br/>Two days after the series of mysterious texts, thoughts of it flurried through Ayano’s mind as she walked to school on Monday morning. She hadn’t been at Sakuragi that long, but the famed Info-chan was whispered about even among students at neighboring schools. Some claimed to be her clients, others feared falling victim to her, some didn’t believe she even existed. No one knew who she really was.</p><p>Not that it really mattered to Ayano. All that mattered was having her <em>senpai</em>, and that meant getting Haruka Kokona out of the way.</p><p>Before school started, teachers set up in classrooms and readied their lesson plans. Students milled around, mostly chatting with their friends. By the fountain, a group of girls with tans and colorful dip-dyed hair scrolled through their phones and giggled. A few girls in another circle glared at them like they wanted nothing more than to throw those phones into the fountain. A group of boys were talking about some magical girl video game.</p><p>“Sorry, my phone’s ringing,” Haruka suddenly piped, catching Ayano’s attention. “I’ll be right back.”</p><p>With that she rushed into the school, past the lockers toward the entrance. Ayano followed quickly but quietly behind.</p><p>“Hello?” Haruka said as she held her phone to her ear. “Ugh, I told you not to call me when I’m at school! Like I said, that was a one-time thing! I don’t wanna do that again! ...H-How much did you say…? Well...if it’s just one more time, then... I guess it’s okay… How about tonight? Where we met last time, in Shisuta Town? Okay then… See you tonight.” </p><p>With that she hung up the phone, and immediately dropped her head into her hands. “Ugh! I can’t <em>believe</em> I’m doing this.”</p><p><em>Compensated dating, huh?</em> Ayano thought. <em>It sure wouldn’t look good if word of that got out… </em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Here we are at the dreaded number 4. Seasoned anime fans know what that means in Japanese superstition. Enjoy &gt;:)</p>
<p>I know the last chapter was kind of short, but I’m shooting for at least 800 words per chapter, and we’re getting back to that starting here.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Haruka had almost thought her heart would stop when she saw Ayano Aishi’s post on the school’s social website.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Today, I saw Haruka Kokona in Shisuta Town. She was engaging in compensated dating.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Immediately responses had come flooding in, many from the school bullies, with the spray tans and colorful dyed hair.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“lolllll get absolutely expooooosed”<br/>  <br/>“omg i'm going to make sure everyone knows about this”<br/>  <br/>“i always knew she was a slut, i bet this is just the tip of the iceberg”<br/>  <br/>“seriously?? what a whore”<br/>  <br/>“LOL this is sooooo going on my blog”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The last comment especially had made Haruka feel ill. She almost wanted to fake sick so she wouldn’t have to show her face at school the next day, knowing at least some people wouldn’t look at her the same. But how long could she keep that up? Her only choice was to lay low for now.</p>
<p>It had turned out worse than she thought.</p>
<p>Within just a few days, Haruka’s terrible secret had swept across the school, and there was no end to the torment in sight.</p>
<p>“Haha, take this, you whore!” Mutsumi Rendaku laughed as she clapped dirty chalkboard erasers against Haruka’s head, the chalkdust flying through the air and making Haruka cough.</p>
<p>“What’ll he think of that pretty hair now?!” Hoshiko jeered.</p>
<p>“Whore-uka Hoe-kona!”</p>
<p>“Dirty slut!”</p>
<p>“Wonder where she’s going?” Kashiko called when she saw Haruka leaving school that afternoon.</p>
<p>“Shisuta Town! Where all the hoes go!” Hana yelled, for everyone at the lockers and outside to hear.</p>
<p>Haruka couldn’t go to school on Wednesday. She absolutely couldn’t bring herself to do it. The next day, she avoided the bullies the best she could, but they harassed her at every turn, as loudly as they could. She had to excuse herself to the bathroom twice just to cry in a stall.</p>
<p>“Hey,” came a voice.</p>
<p>Desperately hoping it wasn’t one of the bullies, Haruka looked up from where she sat alone on the school rooftop late that afternoon. She breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Usagi Rikudo, one of the most social and popular girls in school but reputed as one of the sweetest and most caring, always willing to listen and give comfort.</p>
<p>“I don’t usually see you here this late,” she noted.</p>
<p>“I, uhh, had some things to do,” Haruka said quickly.</p>
<p>Usagi nodded. “So...I heard people have been giving you a hard time lately.”</p>
<p>As she took a seat next to Haruka, the purple-haired girl shook her head. “I’ve lost all my friends. Not even Saki will talk to me anymore. People give me dirty looks and whisper behind their hands. I know they’re talking about me. They wrote these...horrible things all over my desk. ...I just...I can’t believe it got to this.” Before Haruka could stop herself, she had burst into tears, hiccuping between sobs, her face red.</p>
<p>Usagi wrapped an arm around her and ran her hand up and down the crying girl’s back. “Is that why you weren’t at school yesterday?”</p>
<p>Haruka nodded and wiped her cheeks. “I was going to confess my feelings to Takao Suzuki under the cherry tree tomorrow, but...there’s no way I can face him now. I can barely even face anyone else here.”</p>
<p>“You could face me,” Usagi supplied.</p>
<p>“You’re different,” Haruka said. “You’re the kindest person in this school.”</p>
<p>“It’s gonna be ok,” Usagi assured her. “I know it looks bad now, but it’ll pass.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know.” Haruka shook her head. “So much has happened. I feel like I should just transfer schools, but I-- <em>my dad</em> worked so hard to pay for my tuition.”</p>
<p>“I don’t imagine he’d want to see you suffer like this,” Usagi said.</p>
<p>“That’s true…” Haruka wiped her cheeks. “I’ll have to think about all of this.”</p>
<p>“Don’t stress too much over it.” Usagi squeezed her shoulder. “Like I said, it’ll pass.”</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p><br/>But it was more than Haruka could take.</p>
<p>The next day was just too much. She couldn’t bear to think of one more day of all this abuse. But it would happen if she stayed here.</p>
<p>She wrote in a note,</p>
<p>
  <strong>I can’t take this anymore. I really can’t. I never went on these dates because I wanted to, but because I really needed the money. It was bad enough already to sell my own body, but then even at school my classmates made me suffer for it.</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>I want my dad to know how much I love him. I can’t take this anymore and he wouldn’t want to see me like this anymore, but he worked too hard for me to transfer schools. So that’s why I did this.</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>It’s no one’s fault but those that treated me so badly every day.</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>--Haruka Kokona</strong>
</p>
<p>Then she slipped off her shoes, set the note inside…</p>
<p>...And stepped off the edge of the school roof, closing her eyes and feeling almost at peace as the wind rushed by and the ground came up to meet her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes, Hana's comment when Haruka was leaving school was a reference to Kubz Scouts' "SHISUTA TOWN, THAT'S WHERE ALL THE HOES GO!" in an old video of his right after Kokona's phone call was implemented in the respective build, if anyone remembers that ^^;</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, ahh, I’m doing some name-changing again. I didn’t want to make a radical change, but that’s what I ended up with since looking up names is fun and I can’t help but be a stickler for details here. In FluorescenceFuture’s AU, Amai Odayaka is named Ameko Mochizuki because, according to them, “Ameko means something like ‘candy child’ while Mochizuki means something along the lines of ‘hope/wish moon’ but also it has mochi in it.” But from what I could find online, Ameko (雨子) actually means “rain child.” The first kanji is also used in the name Amaya (雨夜), which means “night rain.” Closest we’ve got to “candy child” is actually the first name of one of Yan Sim’s school bullies, Kashiko (菓子), in reference to her candy-shaped hairpin.<br/>For this, I’ve decided to go with the name Momo Hachimitsu (モモ 蜂蜜) for Amai. Momo (モモ) means “peach” and Hachimitsu (蜂蜜) means “honey,” so you have “peach honey.” This is in reference to her sweetness.</p>
<p>And no, I didn’t forget Osana. She’ll be one of the later rivals.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Next week, word spread of Haruka’s suicide, putting a slight damper on the atmosphere. A memorial service for her was held in the school gym by Sakuragi’s headmaster. Saki Mayuzumi looked especially shattered, as if trying her hardest not to burst into tears at any moment.</p>
<p>Just before the service started, a familiar face took a seat next to Ayano.</p>
<p>“Hey, Yan-chan.” Takao smiled sadly.</p>
<p>“Ohh, hey, <em>senpai</em>,” Ayano said softly.</p>
<p>“Man, I can’t believe it…” Takao looked at Haruka’s portrait on the stage, then back at Ayano. “She was in your class, wasn’t she?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Had she been…?</em>
</p>
<p>“Yes,” Ayano answered.</p>
<p>Takao sighed. “And I just barely knew her… Looks like Mayuzumi-san’s taking this pretty hard.” He paused before leaning closer and squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. “I’m here if you ever need me.”</p>
<p>Ayano froze at the close contact. Her eyes met Takao’s warm chestnut ones, and all other surroundings seemed to melt away, all her movements arrested apart from her heart pounding in her ears.</p>
<p>“None of that here,” a teacher scolded them. “The ceremony’s about to start.”</p>
<p>Takao blushed brightly. “Sorry.”</p>
<p>Ayano turned around to face forward, but took Takao’s napkin out of her pocket as she did, tracing her finger along the pink cherry blossoms embroidered on it. She took one last look at him as the headmaster was testing the mic. He eyed the napkin in her hands, then smiled and nodded at her.</p>
<p>Though Ayano should have looked downcast here if only out of politeness, her heart was racing.</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p><br/>The next day, a bake sale was being held in the school plaza by the fountain, where members of the cooking club milled around as the fragrance of the baked goods wafted through the air. Behind the table stood Momo Hachimitsu, a girl with shining mint eyes and soft waves of hair like brown sugar. It was only fitting that she was the president of the cooking club, always handing out treats from it whenever there were extra. As Ayano found out from Info-chan, Momo’s generous and caring nature drew many her way, Takao included.</p>
<p>“Hey, Suzuki-san!” she chirped when he approached her.</p>
<p>“Hachimitsu-san. What’s going on here?” he asked.</p>
<p>She smiled. “I know this is a little soon after what happened, but I thought it could lift people’s spirits a little. And we thought we could maybe raise some money for new club equipment.”</p>
<p>“Ohh yeah, the cooking club equipment is pretty old, isn’t it?” Takao noted. “I’m friends with the student council president. I could put in a word with her to have it replaced for you.”</p>
<p>“Oh no, it’s nothing serious,” Momo assured him. “Just a few malfunctions every now and then. If it was at all dangerous, I wouldn’t let anybody in the club near it. Right now we’re saving for a new mixer since the one we have now is <em>really</em> slow. If you want to help, you could chip in here.”</p>
<p>“Hmm…” Takao looked around at the treats before his eyes lit up. “Are those red velvet cupcakes? Those are my favorite!”</p>
<p>Momo grinned. “Help yourself! If there are any extra after this, they’re yours!”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Hachimitsu-san.”</p>
<p>“Anytime!”</p>
<p>Taking note of all of this, Ayano made sure to stop by the cooking club after school.</p>
<p>“Sure, we’d love to have you join!” Momo said. “All we ask is you show up at least once a week after school.”</p>
<p>“I’m in, then.”</p>
<p>“That’s great! Here you go.” Momo handed Ayano a light blue kerchief and cooking apron. “Have you done much baking before? If not, I’d be happy to teach you, since we need some more treats for the bake sale this week.”</p>
<p>“Sure, I’ll help with that.”</p>
<p>“Thanks! Alright, let me show you where everything is… The flour, sugar, and all of that are in these cabinets, the spices are in here, and the cleaning equipment is in here above the stove. Any and all pots and pans are in these cabinets under the sink. Ohh, and Aishi-san…” She turned back to Ayano. “The appliances are pretty old, so be careful. They aren’t dangerous, but definitely don’t tinker with anything. The mixer and rice cooker are slower than normal. The timer on the stove doesn’t work, so you’ll have to use the clock on the wall. And be <em>really</em> careful around the stove. We’ve had a few minor burns and shocks already. So always make sure you’ve turned it off all the way. You’ll know when the knob clicks into place.”</p>
<p>Ayano nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”</p>
<p>Momo smiled. “With all of that out of the way, I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun here! Ready to start today’s activity? Let me tell you, stir fry gives you quite an arm workout.”</p>
<p>Ayano smirked. “Sounds good to me.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ayano’s hands shook as she clutched the box full of cupcakes. Most of the treats that the cooking club members made had gone towards the bake sale, but Ayano had made an extra batch of red velvet cupcakes for her <em>senpai</em>...and even been brave enough, if tentatively, to add tiny sprinkles in the shape of red hearts on top.</p>
<p>That evening on Wednesday, she shakily approached Takao, trying her hardest not to drop the box.</p>
<p>“Hey, Yan-chan.” Takao smiled. “What do you have there?”</p>
<p>“Uhh...uhmm…” She held the box out and said quickly, “Imadetheseforyou.”</p>
<p>“Wow, really?” Takao took the box and opened the lid slightly. “Are these red velvet? That’s my favorite! And you put little hearts on them.”</p>
<p>His eyes still lit up, he looked back up at Ayano. “Can I try one now?”</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah, of course...but it’s my first time, so…” Ayano looked at her feet to hide that her face was turning beet red. “I’m really sorry if they’re bad.”</p>
<p>As Takao bit into a cupcake, his eyes widened. “Yan-chan, these are so good! Was this really your first time?”</p>
<p>“I-I mean, I helped my mom cook sometimes, when I was little…”</p>
<p>“Thanks so much, Yan-chan. You’ll have to tell me your secret ingredient one day.”</p>
<p><em>Love</em>, Ayano thought, smiling.</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p><br/>The next day, her heart jumped when Takao popped his head in the doorway of the clubroom that afternoon, but then…</p>
<p>“So, did she tell you?”</p>
<p>“Oh, hello, Suzuki-san!” Momo piped. “The president did! We’ll be getting a new stove by Friday, all thanks to you! I know you don’t like being ‘repaid,’ but…” </p>
<p>She walked up to Takao and held out a bag of cookies. “Please, take this! I made them just for you!”</p>
<p>“Oh, thanks! But you didn’t need to… I mean, you’ve already cooked for me before…”</p>
<p>“It’s fine!” Momo insisted. “Suzuki-san, I wouldn’t mind cooking for you all the time…”</p>
<p>Right when she heard those words, a pang of violent jealousy froze Ayano where she stood, surging through her...not unlike the electricity in the erratic appliances of the cooking club…</p>
<p>“Ohh, Aishi-san, before you go…” Momo turned to her.</p>
<p>Ayano took a deep breath to hide her rage.</p>
<p>“You know Saki Mayuzumi, right? Well...she’s been taking Kokona-san’s death pretty hard, and she hasn’t been eating much. She just sits on the bench in the plaza all by herself, looking so tired and sad…”</p>
<p>Ayano nodded, remembering bitterly how those lonely days felt to her when she was in middle school.</p>
<p>“I was thinking of making her some miso soup tomorrow,” Momo continued. “We have most of the ingredients, but it’d really help if you could bring in some grapeseed oil. If it’s not too much trouble, of course.”</p>
<p>“No problem,” Ayano replied. “...Actually, could I help out with it?”</p>
<p>“Ohh, you don’t have to,” Momo said. “I’ll be fine, really.”</p>
<p>“But you’ll be busy with the bake sale at lunchtime,” Ayano said. “I could at least prep it with you tomorrow morning.”</p>
<p>“Hmm, that’s true...I guess I could use the help, if it’s really not too much trouble.” Momo flashed her that sickly-sweet grin again. “This is so thoughtful of you, Aishi-san. I’m sure Mayuzumi-san will really appreciate it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“See you then,” Ayano said.</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p><br/>The next morning, two girls idly chatted to the steady <em>chop-chop-chop</em> of the knives on the cutting boards as they diced the vegetables for the soup.</p>
<p>“You said you hadn’t done much baking before now, is that right?” Momo asked.</p>
<p>“I did some with my mother when I was younger, but that was it,” Ayano replied.</p>
<p>“I used to help my mother cook all the time when I was little. My family owns a bakery in Buraza Town. You might know it. It’s Hachimitsu Bakery.”</p>
<p>“Ohh, yes. I think I might have seen it before,” Ayano said.</p>
<p>“You’re welcome anytime if you find yourself with a sweet tooth.”</p>
<p>“Alright, I’ll see you back here at lunchtime and we can get cooking then,” Momo said when they were done with all the prep work. “We’ll be using the pressure cooker for this. It’ll be fine as long as we leave it on low. I can have our vice president handle the bake sale in the meantime.”</p>
<p>“Sounds good,” Ayano said before picking up the ingredients to put back in the fridge. “I’ll just clean up here and see you then.”</p>
<p>“See you later, Aishi-san,” Momo said before leaving.</p>
<p>When she was sure Momo was gone, Ayano carefully crouched in front of the sink and took the pressure cooker out of the cabinet.</p>
<p>It sure was old. All it would take was a little messing with the pipe vent and safety valve. After that, all she had to do was turn the cooker on high at lunch period when Momo came back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ayano and Momo had lunch together at the dining table in the clubroom as the soup was cooking...at what Ayano made sure was much too high a temperature.</p><p>After about seventeen minutes, Momo stood from her seat to go check on it. “It should be ready right about now. Thanks for all your help with it.”</p><p>“No problem.” Ayano smiled at her before heading for the door.</p><p>
  <strong>*BOOM*</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>“AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>*CLANK*</strong>
</p><p>The kitchen burst into a cloud of steam and scalding hot miso broth, sending Momo flying back, followed by a crash and an ominous sizzling sound.</p><p>But Ayano had already walked out the door.</p><p>In her next class, all she could focus on while taking a test was hoping that her plan had worked. If not…</p><p>Some time later, though, she and her class heard the telltale sirens outside the window. When they looked outside, they saw an ambulance parked outside the school gate with its lights flashing, and a group of paramedics quickly wheeling a stretcher towards the school entrance.</p><p>Tension and worry filled the atmosphere. The teachers refused to disclose what exactly was going on, but a few students claimed to have seen Momo Hachimitsu being carried away on a stretcher, that she was unconscious and her skin was bright red, practically melting off. Another said the pressure cooker explosion had left the stove in shambles.</p><p>The cooking club room was closed off and locked after that, purportedly for the safety of students and staff.</p><p>“Oh my gosh.” Ajia Ashitomi, a member of the cooking club, was practically shaking as she changed into her outdoor shoes at the lockers that afternoon. “I knew the club equipment was old and could malfunction, but I had no idea…”</p><p>“Yeah, we’d better stay away for a while,” Seiyo Akanishi, another club member, replied. “It’ll probably be shut down anyways.”</p><p>Ayano had found out from a cooking club meeting that Ajia was very proudly Japanese and dreamed of mastering Japanese cooking. Seiyo, meanwhile, despite being Japanese, was obsessed with Western culture, even having a Union Jack design on his kerchief and an American flag pattern on his apron. There was a palpable tension between the two for these stark differences, but it looked like they had found one thing they could agree on.</p><p>“It makes no sense, though,” Ajia continued. “Hachimitsu-senpai is an excellent cook. It’s not like her to be so careless.”</p><p>“She was busy with the bake sale on top of what she was doing in the clubroom,” Seiyo said. “It must have slipped her mind.”</p><p>The slight hostility was back on Ajia’s face. “I suppose.” She closed her locker. “I just hope she’ll be alright.”</p><p>“I hope so too,” Seiyo replied.</p><p>“I guess the cooking club will <em>really</em> need new equipment now, let alone repairs,” Mai Wakahara, a girl in Ayano’s class, was saying to Tsubaki Uesugi, a member of the gardening club. “No more meetings for them for a while either, if the accident was that bad.”</p><p>“Indeed,” Tsubaki said. “I will be sure to pray for Hachimitsu-senpai, and perhaps visit a shrine.”</p><p>“I was going to just send her flowers at most, but you do you,” Himari Fujita, another gardening club member, said offhandedly.</p><p>“No, that’s a good idea too.” Tsubaki’s eyes widened. “We could grow the flowers ourselves. The <em>kami</em> would be pleased.”</p><p>Himari chuckled. “If you say so. Were you thinking of any in particular?”</p><p>“Hmm...baby blue eyes?” Tsubaki suggested.</p><p>“Those are always beautiful, but too small for a bouquet,” Himari pointed out. “What about daffodils or edelweiss?”</p><p>“White daffodils would be perfect!” Tsubaki said. “Especially the paperwhite ariel or bridal crowns.”</p><p><br/>~</p><p><br/>Ayano let out a heavy sigh. This had been a close one. At least, it felt like it was. She had only come up with her plan of action yesterday. Granted, if all else failed, she probably would have just resorted to poisoning or sticking one of the kitchen knives in Momo’s throat and disposing of the evidence in the incinerator at cleaning time or some such. Still, it was Friday and she had only just gotten her rival out of the way, mere hours before the girl would have confessed to her <em>senpai</em> under the cherry blossom tree.</p><p>And though she hadn’t planned for this, she had been in the room with Momo as the explosion happened. What if she herself had gotten hurt? If she hadn’t been on the other side of the room, if she had been less than a meter closer…</p><p>It had all worked out, and perhaps Ayano was just feeling insecure or shaken by it all. But it just seemed a bit last-minute and precarious in hindsight. And this couldn’t be the last of the rivals.</p><p>She would have to be more careful next time, she thought.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In Japan, flowers have different meanings than they do in the West. This is called hanakotoba (花言葉) - the “language of flowers.” Most anime fans know of how cherry blossoms symbolize love, beauty, and romance, and how you can expect to see their petals floating by in 9/10 of those kinds of fluffy anime scenes. Some others might know of how red spider lilies symbolize death. Thus, it’s no coincidence that you can find both of those at Yandere Simulator’s confession tree.<br/>As for this, I just find baby blue eyes absolutely breathtaking and fitting pretty well with Momo’s aesthetic, especially in this AU. Daffodils, in Japan, are given to show respect. And yes, the bridal crown variety being mentioned is for the sake of cruel irony.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That Monday there was another memorial, this one for Momo Hachimitsu.</p>
<p>“As we know, there was a terrible accident involving an exploding pressure cooker in the cooking club room last Friday during lunch period. The paramedics were called, and an injured student was taken to the hospital,” the headmaster was saying. “That student was Momo Hachimitsu. And sadly, on Saturday night, she died of complications due to severe burns from the incident.”</p>
<p>Then he went on about what a wonderful student Momo was, how caring and selfless and giving, and how terrible the loss was.</p>
<p>Afterwards, Ayano’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Info-chan.</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Holy shit, was that YOU? The explosion in the cooking club room, I mean. If so, that was awesome.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yep, it was me. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I almost wish I could have been there. Great job. I’m looking forward to further working with you.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>“Hey, Yan-chan. Can I talk to you after school, at the fountain?”</p>
<p>Ayano quickly stuffed her phone in her skirt pocket and looked up. It was Takao.</p>
<p>“Ohh, Takao-senpai. Uhmm, sure, of course.”</p>
<p>“Ok, see you then.”</p>
<p>Takao’s smile looked wan as he took one last look at her, and Ayano noticed the faintest of dark rings under his eyes.</p>
<p><em>Oh God, I </em>hope<em> he hasn’t found out…</em></p>
<p>He could never love her then, needless to say. It would all be over, with her alone in a dull and gray world. Tears sprung to her eyes at the thought.</p>
<p>But he had smiled and called her Yan-chan, as always. Would he have done that if he was planning to confront her later? It seemed unlikely. If he hadn’t...Ayano was sure she would have blacked out from the panic.</p>
<p>Even so, the anxiety made her tremble and filled her mind so she could not even concentrate in class. It reached an almost unbearable point when she faced Takao at the fountain that afternoon. She worried that any moment she would just burst out crying from it.</p>
<p>What she wasn’t expecting was what happened next.</p>
<p>After a few silent, torturous moments, Takao stepped forward and threw his arms around her.</p>
<p>She was too perplexed for the ardor within to seize her heart at full force, as it would in any other case of her beloved senpai taking her in his arms, but she laid against him and wrapped her arms around him anyway.</p>
<p>“Thank God you’re alright.” He whispered it, but Ayano heard him clear as a bell.</p>
<p>Still confused, she asked even more softly, “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>He pulled away and looked straight into her eyes, keeping his trembling hands on her shoulders. “It could have been you. If you had been any closer to the stove, if you had been there instead of Hachimitsu-san… I’m really sad for her death, I really am. But thank God you’re alright.”</p>
<p>He lowered his eyes then. “Still...if only I had asked the student council president for new cooking equipment sooner...then she wouldn’t have had to use that damn faulty cooker that ended up killing her…”</p>
<p>Now he looked to be on the verge of tears.</p>
<p>Ayano stepped closer to him. “It’s not your fault.”</p>
<p>Takao squeezed her shoulders. “I’m trying to tell myself that.”</p>
<p>“It’s really not.” Ayano tried to think of something. “Remember those cupcakes I made you? Or...would they make you even more sad?”</p>
<p>Takao smiled a tiny bit. “I think those could help. You had made those without anything happening…”</p>
<p>“See?” Ayano said. “Hachimitsu-senpai had no idea the cooking equipment was at all dangerous. None of us did. She said herself she wouldn’t have let us near it if it was. What happened was a terrible accident. There’s no way you could have known about it. It’s nobody’s fault.”</p>
<p>“I can’t believe it turned out this way… But I’ll try to remember that. Thanks, Yan-chan.”</p>
<p>Ayano smiled. “Anytime.”</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p><br/>“Usagi-chan! Usagi-chan!”</p>
<p>Usagi quietly sighed. “Yes, Gurinishi-san?”</p>
<p>The green-haired girl put her hands on her hips and pouted angrily. “How many times have I told you to call me Midori-chan? Anyways, have you given Suzuki-senpai my gift yet?”</p>
<p>“Jeez, Midori, two girls just died,” Usagi said, turning around to face her.</p>
<p>“That’s why I thought now would be perfect!” Midori protested. “To cheer him up and let him know I care!”</p>
<p>“No way,” Usagi said grimly. “You’ll look <em>thirsty</em>.”</p>
<p>Midori frowned again. She always looked so much like a put-out child when displeased. “Fine, fine. I guess it can wait.”</p>
<p>“Attagirl,” Usagi deadpanned. “See you tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“Bye!” Midori called, suddenly peppy again.</p>
<p>Midori had gotten Takao a golden brass figurine of three turtles stacked on top of one another. It wasn’t a bad gift by any means, but something about it gave Usagi a weird vibe. Maybe it was the face the turtle on the bottom was making, like the weight of the other turtles was too much to withstand.</p>
<p>Ahh, well. It looked like it had been expensive. <em>Couldn’t have just made him a little origami sculpture or something, huh?</em> Midori was so besotted with the boy, she would splurge on something like this for him. Maybe Usagi could sell it for a good amount.</p>
<p>She sighed. It could be aggravating, when she wasn’t being Info-chan.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Slightly shorter chapter this time. And more name-changing ahead.</p>
<p>Oka Ruto is named Sayori Oka in FluorescenceFuture’s AU. Fluor claims the name Sayori “means something like ‘born on a night.’” Since Oka is a real Japanese last name, they kept it. Sayori is, in Fluor’s AU, “a bit of a chuunibyou, but only to the point of having an ‘alter ego’ named Fran.” Fluor chose this because “Fran comes from ‘furafura,’ the [Japanese] onomatopoeia for unsteadiness, and Frankenstein.” But according to Behind The Name, Sayori comes “[f]rom Japanese 小 (sa) meaning ‘small’, 夜 (yo) meaning ‘night’ combined with 里 (ri) meaning ‘village.’”<br/>I had a TON of ideas for Oka’s name when coming up with more authentic-sounding Japanese names for the rivals than what YanDev had first come up with. In the end I went with Izayoi Kurayami (十六夜 暗闇), meaning “the sixteenth night of darkness.” Apparently the Japanese believe that on the sixteenth of each month, the night is especially beautiful. Perhaps Oka/Sayori doesn’t look much like an Izayoi, but I really prefer her original design (https://i.imgur.com/H9NrYTn.png) and think she does more there, so that’s how I’m picturing and describing her here. But you can picture her however you want, I’m not the boss of your imagination.<br/>I’m also keeping the Fran alter ego since it sounds like something Oka would believe herself to have. It also reminds me of the horror game Fran Bow.</p>
<p>Besides all of that, I have a massive disclaimer to get out of the way on the highly sensitive topic in this arc of mental illness, but that’ll be for the next chapter so this author’s note doesn’t end up almost as long as the chapter itself.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next one rivaling for Takao’s affections was a girl by the name of Izayoi Kurayami, and she was...well. A pretty stark anomaly among the others.</p>
<p>She was the president of the occult club -- officially called the mythology club -- with messy hair of a dark indigo shade that hung over her face, and sharp, slitted eyes of light amethyst with dark rings under them peeked out. She was so pale she looked as if she hadn’t stepped into the sun in months. She wore an oversized version of Sakuragi’s blazer, its sleeves reaching almost to her knees, and dark gray tights instead of white knee socks.</p>
<p>She always hung her head when she walked by, often twitching and mumbling to herself, and sounded like she was fighting back a cough in what times she spoke to others. According to Info-chan, she had been far too shy to approach anyone about creating an occult club last year. Takao had overheard of it from some girls talking about her behind her back, and decided to help her put it together.</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p><br/>Though many doubted her lucidity on this, Izayoi knew well how she was seen by others at her school.</p>
<p>Some looked at her with concern, but most others with discomfort and aversion. They went out of their way to avoid her, and hardly anyone talked to her outside of the occult club. The club was something of a haven for her. No one in there saw or heard the exact same entities as her, the shadowed figures that materialized out of walls, tables, and chairs to speak to her in muffled voices all at once. But they could sense similar ones. Everyone else had told Izayoi they weren’t real, and they were all just in her broken mind. And she let them say that. But deep down, she knew better.</p>
<p>Not that she enjoyed the company of these apparitions in any way. They still scared her. But at least in the occult club, she wasn’t alone with them.</p>
<p>And...there was someone else.</p>
<p>A boy named Takao Suzuki, who had gone out of his way to approach her and offered to help her set up an occult club. He had still looked a bit unnerved by her, but not enough to stop him from this. And he didn’t have nearly the same unease on his face that the other students clearly had when they saw her.</p>
<p>She was so nervous about this, but after he had done that for her, she had to thank him.</p>
<p>“Uhm…”</p>
<p>When he turned to her, she immediately averted her eyes. “Suzuki-senpai...thank you for saving me...and standing by me… You defeated the odds and made the school approve an occult club.”</p>
<p>“You’re exaggerating,” Takao said humbly. “I mean, it’s not really an ‘occult club,’ and I didn’t really do that much for you--”</p>
<p>“LIES!” Izayoi blurted out. “I-I mean, you were the only one who believed in me...and you helped me, even though an occult club is weird, and I’m weird, and--”</p>
<p>“You’re not weird at all,” he said. “You’re pretty cool, Fran!”</p>
<p><em>What?!</em> “Fr-- Fr--”</p>
<p>“Fran!” she heard him call before she hit the ground and all went black.</p>
<p>“Fran” was her alter ego, the other side of her that she self-proclaimed. No one else had ever acknowledged that side of her before… They all just wrote her off as a <em>chuunibyou</em>.</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Izayoi Kurayami is the president of Sakuragi’s mythology club. She is completely convinced that ghosts, demons, and black magic really exist, and wants to dedicate her life to proving that these things are real.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>She became smitten with Suzuki-san when he helped her create the club last year. Since she fell for him in an incredibly short time, she believes that there must be something supernatural about him, and has been studying him intently.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>She is an awkward girl who most everyone thinks is a massive weirdo, and there are rumors here and there that she didn’t show up at school until recently because she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. But she’s harmless, and a few people even find her shy and quiet disposition endearing.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Such was Info-chan’s assessment of Izayoi. But Ayano still wasn’t sure what to do.</p>
<p><em>What do YOU think?</em> she decided to try asking.</p>
<p>After a few minutes, Info-chan texted back,</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>I think she has mental issues. And if word of that got out...she’d NEVER be able to live it down. Just something you might want to keep in mind.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Hmm…</p>
<p><em>I will indeed</em>, Ayano thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Highly sensitive topic ahead in this chapter -- mental illness.</p><p>I have it myself (depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia), so you need not worry about this writing lacking a sufferer’s empathies. Still, portraying it can feel like walking on eggshells. And I don’t have any psychotic illnesses, so I can’t be expected to know that firsthand, but I tried with this. Mostly, I went off of the...abject horror I felt upon watching a video my friend sent me years ago simulating auditory hallucinations. To this day it remains the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. If I went through even a few days of that, let alone years, I’d just be curled up on the floor screaming and crying nonstop. No eating, no sleeping, just suffering until I couldn’t take it anymore. So, I feel terribly for people that go through that. Luckily, medication and therapy can reduce those experiences for people significantly so it’s not drastically interfering with their lives. (There was a theory that Satou, the hikikomori protagonist of Welcome To The NHK, had paranoid-type schizophrenia and this was the reason for his bizarre nightmares, hallucinations, and crippling fear of leaving his apartment. In the manga the hallucinations -- which were also pretty scary to me -- were shown to be due to substance abuse, though there’s also that in Volume 5, Satou’s father had considered putting him in a psychiatric hospital.)<br/>But if something like that goes untreated? Well...you’ll see.</p><p>And, more importantly to this fic’s setting, despite ongoing attempts in the West to reduce stigma around mental illness, it’s considered HIGHLY shameful in Japan and Korea to even acknowledge, and getting help for it is akin to social suicide. This is part of why there are more hikikomori (shut-ins) there...and could be behind the higher suicide rates. Man, I’m glad to be high-functioning.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With Info-chan’s help, Ayano managed to spread some particularly nasty rumors among the student body about Izayoi over the course of the week. Whispers and taunts circulated of her being unhinged, delusional, even unstable. Her reputation suffered more than ever. Students and teachers alike went from looking at her with discomfort before to disgust now. This didn’t do her seemingly already precarious mental state any favors. Now she was constantly checking behind her back, shrinking away from others’ gazes, and jolting at almost every sound.</p><p>By Thursday, she was effectively a pariah. No one would even go near her.</p><p>Well, almost no one.</p><p>That day after school, about an hour after extracurricular activities had ended, Usagi found Izayoi in the middle of the occult club room, sitting on the carpet, right in the center of the pentagram emblazoned on it. She was staring into seemingly nowhere, surrounded by extinguished candles from the club’s meeting.</p><p>Immediately, her head jolted up to face the intruder.</p><p>“It’s alright. It’s just me.” Usagi carefully stepped over one of the candles and sat on the carpet beside the club president. “So, what’s been going on with you? Not that you have to share if you’re not comfortable.”</p><p>Izayoi lowered her gaze to the floor, her dark bangs falling over her face. “No one here understands...they keep swarming...the shadows and faces...their red eyes…”</p><p>Usagi nodded. “You’ve been seeing these things more lately, haven’t you?”</p><p>“They’re real!” Izayoi insisted, desperate tears pooling in her lavender eyes. “The ghosts and demons are real! I see and hear them all the time...even now! I swear it, they’re real, I wouldn’t lie about this!”</p><p>“It’s alright, I believe you,” Usagi said softly. “Even if no one else does.”</p><p>Izayoi tugged at the hems of her long sleeves. “I’ve been in love with Takao Suzuki-senpai ever since I first met him. I was going to confess to him under the cherry tree tomorrow, but...now I don’t know. I really feel like he won’t accept me.” She looked up at Usagi. “What do you think I should do?”</p><p>“I’d say go for it,” Usagi said. “You can’t know until you try, and you only live once. You wouldn’t want to not do it only to forever wish you had. But it’s up to you.”</p><p>“Thank you, Rikudo-san,” Izayoi murmured.</p><p>“Of course,” Usagi said. “Good luck.”</p><p>As Izayoi walked away, having a pretty good idea of where she was headed, Usagi smirked darkly. She couldn’t wait to see the aftermath of this.</p><p><br/>~</p><p><br/>The next day, Izayoi stood on the hill below the cherry blossom tree, a pitch dark shadow against the soft orange of the sunset and the light pink petals delicately fluttering in the wind.</p><p>She had been waiting about twenty minutes. Where was Suzuki-senpai?</p><p>But a few minutes later, just as she thought he wasn’t coming, he rushed over up the hill to her.</p><p>“Sorry I kept you waiting,” he panted.</p><p>“I-It’s alright…” Izayoi reflexively averted her eyes to the red spider lilies in the grass.</p><p>“So, there was something you wanted to tell me?”</p><p>“Y-Yes…” she said, still staring at the ground in front of her. “Uhm...Suzuki-senpai…” She thought of Usagi’s words, and what she had said to her, as she met the boy’s eyes. “I’m...r-really grateful for your help...making the occult club happen...it’s really been a haven for me, since everyone thinks I’m weird, and disturbed…” She looked away again. “Perhaps you think so too, since people have been talking about me… But I’m not crazy! Really! The shadow demons are real, even if you can’t see them! They’re out to get me… And...you’re the light for me against them. That’s what you’ve been for me. You can save me from this evil. I know because...I’ve loved you ever since I met you.” She paused. “So...d-do you accept my feelings…?”</p><p>Both disturbed unease and sympathy washed over Takao. He really didn’t know how to do this.</p><p>“Kurayami-san...I can tell you have some things going on. I think deep down you’re a good person…” he said. “But...I don’t think we’re right for each other. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Wh-What…? But…” Izayoi stammered. “But <em>senpai</em>...I know we’re meant to be. It’s in the stars...you don’t have to be afraid…”</p><p>“Kurayami-san...I don’t think so,” he said gently. “I’m really sorry.”</p><p>Sparing her one last look, he turned around and started down the hill, cherry blossom petals floating by in his wake, leaving Izayoi where she stood under the tree.</p><p>Moments after he had turned his back to her, tears had filled her eyes. “No...<em>senpai</em>...please...I’m not crazy, I swear! Please...wait…!”</p><p>When he was out of sight, she fell to her knees in the spider lilies and dropped her head in her hands, crying pitifully.</p><p>From behind another tree nearby, Ayano watched all of this, smiling darkly.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I don’t actually like Oka much (unpopular opinion, I know). I just think she’s overrated. But I do really feel bad for her here. What Ayano (and Info-chan) did was really a low move, framing something that causes Izayoi suffering as a personal flaw so she’ll be harassed and ostracized for it and Takao would reject her. It’s especially unfair since Izayoi’s nonviolent, while Ayano decidedly isn’t. But it’s a sad fact of life that things like that do happen to people with mental illness, especially with it being much more stigmatized in East Asia as I explained. So Izayoi’s one of the tragic figures of this fic.</p><p>Writing Takao’s reaction was the really hard part. If he seems insensitive, it’s not because he’s a jerkwad, it’s because that’s the dominant perception of mental illness in Japan, so he literally doesn’t know any better.</p><p>The next few chapters will be MUCH lighter though. I'm actually pretty excited for them.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Heads up that this and the next few chapters are going to be a bit longer. But they’re some of the best in this fic so far. :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Izayoi still seemed pretty silent and withdrawn that Monday morning, as she sat on the floor outside the occult club room. Even the other members seemed a little put off by her now. There had been whispers among them that their vice president, Shin Higaonna, had a crush on Izayoi, but now here he was sitting and chatting with another girl, an exchange student named Evie, whose classmates called her Mayu.</p>
<p>“The <em>kappa</em> were these water-dwelling monsters that looked kind of like turtles,” Shin was explaining to Mayu as she read a book on Japanese <em>yokai</em>. “They’re portrayed as friendly in kids’ media now, but they were vicious in mythology. They’d drown people, kidnap children, look up women’s kimonos or sometimes rape them, or eat human flesh. They were out to get your ‘butt ball,’ which...depending on the myth was either your liver or your soul.”</p>
<p>Mayu looked at Shin like he had suddenly grown five heads. “So...how did you escape them?”</p>
<p>“One option was giving a <em>kappa</em> a cucumber; they love those. Or-- do you see the plate on its head?” Shin asked, pointing to a page in the book. “If you bowed to the <em>kappa</em>, it would bow back, causing the water to spill out of the plate and freeze the <em>kappa</em> in place. You could take that time to run away.”</p>
<p>“Man, even the river monsters in Japan bow to you,” Mayu laughed.</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p><br/>“Hey, Yan-chan,” came Takao’s voice, interrupting the rhythm of her scrolling through her phone.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey, <em>senpai</em>,” Ayano said nervously, turning off the screen and stuffing her phone in her pocket.</p>
<p>“Is everything ok with you?” he asked.</p>
<p>Ayano’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“You’ve seemed...distracted lately. I wanted to make sure you weren’t working yourself too hard,” Takao explained as he sat down on the bench beside her.</p>
<p>“Ohh, yeah,” Ayano replied. “I just have a lot on my plate right now, with school and all. But I’ll be alright.”</p>
<p>“You always did seem like the diligent type.” He smiled, but there was a tired sort of haziness in his eyes, the rings under them darker than before.</p>
<p>“Are <em>you</em> ok, <em>senpai</em>?” Ayano asked. “You look a little tired.”</p>
<p>He looked down at his feet. “Actually, I… Do you know Izayoi Kurayami?”</p>
<p>“I’ve heard of her,” Ayano replied.</p>
<p>Takao nodded. “Yeah, people have been talking about her… She confessed being in love with me under the cherry tree last week,” he explained. “I was flattered and all, but...I really don’t feel comfortable around her, if you know what I mean. So I turned her down. As gently as I could, but...she seemed to take it pretty hard.”</p>
<p>“It’s ok, <em>senpai</em>,” Ayano said. “It was for your own good. If she really is unstable, it wouldn’t be safe for you to be with someone like that.”</p>
<p>Takao nodded. “That’s true. But I still feel bad.”</p>
<p>“Then what better way to lift your spirits than to see a stage performance this Thursday by Sakuragi’s very own drama club?” came a clarion voice so suddenly it startled both Ayano and Takao.</p>
<p>In front of them was a purple-haired girl with thick, loosely curling pigtails tied up by pink rose hairbands, beaming and posing dramatically. She wore pink rose earrings that matched her hairbands, a purple choker around her neck, and a frilly light purple bow at her collar. Rather than the white knee socks of Sakuragi’s girls’ uniform, pink thigh-highs ran up her legs, and on her feet were light purple ballet shoes.</p>
<p>“That’s right, Sakuragi’s renowned drama club will be putting on our first play of this semester, an exquisite performance of Japan’s most chilling horror tale, in an extravagant form of the traditional kabuki play!” She handed Takao a copy of one of the many posters the drama club had hung around the school to promote the show. “We have been working tirelessly to bring our audience the finest performance one can offer, for it to culminate this Thursday night on our beautiful stage! So be there or be square! Yep, that means you, Suzuki-kun.” With that she blew a kiss to Takao before flitting away.</p>
<p>There was a pause, then…</p>
<p>“...Well, that was...interesting…” Takao broke the silence. “Though not really surprising from Uehara-san.”</p>
<p>“You know her?” A hint of sharpness had crept into Ayano’s voice.</p>
<p>“She’s in my class. The other students and the teacher joke that if she doesn’t get enough attention, she’ll shrivel up and die. It sure was quiet one day when she was absent.” He looked down at the poster, which featured the lead actor, in full kabuki garb and makeup, recoiling in fear from a ghostly image of the main actress wearing a white kimono, her makeup done in kabuki style and to replicate a large disfigurement on one side of her face, red streaks like blood dripping from it. Behind her, wisps of smoke billowed from a hole scorched through a burning paper lantern. “<em>Yotsuya Kaidan</em>. Sounds spooky.”</p>
<p>Ayano giggled. “I’ll say.”</p>
<p>He turned to her and smiled, his eyes strangely bright. “But it could be fun to see together, if you’re free then.”</p>
<p>Stiffening, Ayano darted her gaze to the ground. “I-I’ll see what I can do.”</p>
<p>“I could hold your hand if you get scared.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Wait, what?</em>
</p>
<p>Tentatively and very slowly, Ayano turned her gaze back to Takao...who was smirking at her. And there was no keeping the burning heat from rising to her cheeks.</p>
<p>“Anyways, a kabuki play sure sounds elaborate. But the drama club tends to be larger than life like that,” Takao laughed.</p>
<p>Just then the low, rhythmic chime of the school clock sounded.</p>
<p>“Ohh, it’s 8:30 already. We’d better get to class.” Takao stood up.</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Think about the play on Thursday, ok? I’ll see you later.” He waved goodbye to her...and winked. Again.</p>
<p>She raised a trembling hand to wave back. “Y-Yeah. See you around.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>No name change this time! FluorescenceFuture renamed Kizana Sunobu to Kizuna Uehara in their AU. They claim to have gotten Kizuna from Kizuna Ai, and further explain that “Kizuna means ‘bond,’ which is more ironic for her because she has no real bonds to speak of. Uehara means ‘upper plain,’ because she’s ‘on a higher level than you.’”<br/>I liked that better than anything I came up with, so no name change there. And, as you’ll see, Kizuna’s name meaning isn’t entirely ironic since the drama club’s vice president feels particularly bonded to her here. Whether he loves her as a follower loves his goddess and worships the ground she walks on, or as a man loves a woman, is up to you. All I know for sure is I had SO MUCH FUN writing for him. He’s so extra. He reminds me a little of Ayame from Fruits Basket. XD</p>
<p>Also, we’re up to 10,000 words! :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“SAAAAALUTATIONS!”</p>
<p>Ayano jumped back a little, startled by the fervid greeting she had been met with practically the moment she entered the room. </p>
<p>“Uhm...hi,” she said to the one that delivered it, a young man with a curly ponytail resting on one shoulder. “Is this the drama club?”</p>
<p>“We are indeed the illustrious drama club! The finest performers you’ll find in Sakuragi!” he announced. “Where do you want to be in five years? Broadway? Hollywood? In front of thousands of people cheering your name? If so, then you’ve come to the right place! Do you seek a brief respite from the trials and tribulations of your life? Then put on a costume, wear a mask, and become somebody else entirely!”</p>
<p>“Uhh, so…”</p>
<p>“Ahhhhh...I can see it in your eyes! You’re here to <em>beg</em> me to let you join our club, am I right?”</p>
<p>“...Sure. Yes, I’d like to join.”</p>
<p>“Well, of <em>course</em> you want to join our club -- who wouldn’t?! It is my great honor to announce that you are now a member of the drama club, my little starlet!”</p>
<p>“Alright, Yamazaki, I’ll take it from here,” a girl with purple hair in pigtails stepped forward and brushed the guy aside.</p>
<p>Ayano immediately recognized the girl from Monday morning and from Info-chan’s prior identification of her as Kizuna Uehara, the haughty and arrogant president of Sakuragi’s drama club. Info-chan had described her as “a real primadonna who no one can stand, but since she has real talent and acting chops, the rest of the club tolerates her. Outside of the club, she has a more mixed reception. You love her or hate her, with little who sit in between.”</p>
<p>“What did you say your name was, dear?” she asked, seeming to look very pointedly down her nose at Ayano.</p>
<p>“I didn’t. It’s Ayano Aishi.”</p>
<p>Kizuna handed her a pink rose to pin to her uniform. “You have my warmest welcome to the drama club, Aishi-san. I’m Kizuna Uehara, the club president. <em>That</em> buffoon is our vice president, Tsuruzo Yamazaki,” she said, gesturing to the guy that had greeted Ayano upon her entrance. “He’s a bit much, I understand, but what counts is that he serves me-- <em>us</em> well.”</p>
<p>“Anyways, to fill you in on most recent events here, we were almost prohibited from staging a performance so soon after the tragedy that befell Momo Hachimitsu. But with some persuasion, the headmaster has allowed us to take the stage this Thursday night,” she explained. “Such ill fortune that all the parts in our play are taken…”</p>
<p>She glanced at Ayano. “But we <em>could</em> use an extra stagehand. We will be performing a kabuki play, which requires a <em>lot</em> of props, elaborate costume design, and <em>oh</em> my God, the <strong><em>makeup</em></strong>…”</p>
<p>“I can help with it,” Ayano suggested.</p>
<p>“Splendid! But be warned that you won’t be very visible...at all,” Kizuna noted. “<em>Kuroko</em> -- stagehands in traditional kabuki theater -- wear all black, from head to toe, and are meant to be ignored by the audience.”</p>
<p>“Fine by me,” Ayano said.</p>
<p>“All yours, then,” Kizuna said. She handed Ayano a packet. “Here’s a copy of the script, with stage directions. We had to omit some parts of the play since it’s a bit of a gruesome one.”</p>
<p>Ayano read over the cover. “<em>Yotsuya Kaidan</em>, huh?”</p>
<p>“Yes, yes!” Tsuruzo chimed in. “You must have heard of it before.”</p>
<p>It was only the most famous ghost story in Japan. “I don’t remember it much. What’s it about?”</p>
<p>“A beautiful woman, spurned by her husband for another, who turns into a hideous monster that haunts his every move and in the end makes him pay with his blood.” Tsuruzo smiled darkly at her. “Don’t you just love a good revenge story?”</p>
<p>Ayano smirked. “I do indeed.”</p>
<p>“Our lovely Uehara-san will be playing the role of Oiwa, the scorned woman and the star of the show,” Tsuruzo continued. “But Oiwa is a <em>fiercely</em> vengeful spirit, such that those of us in the main cast had better make a pilgrimage to her grave and beseech her blessing. She has been known to curse anything that even touches on her story otherwise. And we most certainly would not want another accident here.”</p>
<p>“Hmph. I see absolutely no need to uphold such a ridiculous superstition,” Kizuna objected.</p>
<p>“But, my lady,” Tsuruzo pleaded. “We must not rain down even more tribulation on this fair institution--”</p>
<p>“<em>Yamazaki</em>,” Kizuna snapped. “My decision is final. All who lay eyes on me would know I am the perfect vessel through which to portray Oiwa’s image and memory. We need not go to such trouble to assure a gravestone of this.”</p>
<p>Upon glancing to the side, Ayano noticed the other club members sighing and rolling their eyes.</p>
<p>Tsuruzo exhaled. “If you are sure, I cannot oppose that. But if some timely misfortune should befall us, you will know why.”</p>
<p><em>He sure has a flair for the dramatic...though I guess that’s why he’s here</em>, Ayano thought.</p>
<p>“Yamazaki-senpai, I take it you’ll be playing Iemon?” Ayano inquired.</p>
<p>“Ohh, I do wish it,” Tsuruzo sighed. “Alas, no, though the role was superbly executed at tryouts by our Riku Sohma here.” He gestured to a boy reading the script, who looked up and nodded at Ayano. “Instead I am playing the man Naosuke, the even more insidious friend and confidante to Iemon. And that’s Tokuko Kitagawa. She will be playing Oume, the lady that Oiwa is cast aside for.” He nodded at a girl near Riku, who waved at Ayano.</p>
<p>“As I said, you’ll find the stage directions in the script, and our backstage lackeys can fill you in on everything else,” Kizuna said.</p>
<p>“Who are you calling lackeys?” a girl snapped. “We’re the backbone of the show!”</p>
<p>Kizuna looked unimpressed. “And what part do you play again, Miyako-san?”</p>
<p>“The tech crew’s the real deal!” Miyako exclaimed. “Actors are just props with dialogue!”</p>
<p>Now Kizuna was taken aback. “No way! We’re the stars! You’re just a bunch of freaks and losers! Ohh, forget it. I won’t stoop to deal with commoners.”</p>
<p>Another crew member smirked and looked sideways at Ayano. “Welcome to drama club.”</p>
<p>Ayano returned the smile, equally amused by Kizuna’s fragile pride. <em>This should be fun…</em> she thought.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>At first I wasn’t sure how to wrap up this already long-winded chapter, but I really wanted to use the line “Actors are just props with dialogue!” which I first heard in a high school play in my freshman year. So, yeah, I went and made a very minor OC almost entirely for that purpose. XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ahhhh...this, the previous chapter, and the next one are my favorites so far. They took quite a bit of research (though not as much as Momo’s arc), but were a ton of fun to write. Enjoy. :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The evening of the show that Thursday, performers and stagehands backstage milled around readying for the play.</p>
<p>“You look so <em>different</em>,” Ayano said in shock when she saw Kizuna emerge from the greenroom. </p>
<p>All the actors did, with their previously dyed hair now jet black, their faces covered in thick layers of the chalk-white face powder and iconic red eyeliner and lipstick of kabuki makeup. But Kizuna was practically unrecognizable. The violet dye had been washed out of her hair without a trace to give way to its natural black color, its curls straightened out and tied back in a thick bun. She had been fair-skinned already, but now the makeup blanched her face entirely. With this and the red eyeliner streaks and lipstick, she looked more similar to her peers around her than ever. All she retained of her former appearance was her catlike green eyes.</p>
<p>“I know! But beautiful as ever, am I right? Ahh, I can’t wait for him to see me,” Kizuna replied.</p>
<p>“Who do you mean?” Ayano asked as she pushed a stage wall into place, grateful that the black veil of her stagehand hat hid her narrowed eyes.</p>
<p>“Takao Suzuki,” Kizuna said. “You must have noticed him before. Handsome, popular, sweet, compliant...he’s perfect for me. I know I can make him only have eyes for <em>me</em>.” She turned to Ayano. “Any boys here you’ve taken a liking to yet, Aishi-san?”</p>
<p>“Not just yet,” Ayano lied, dusting off her gloved hands.</p>
<p>“Ahh, well. There’s someone out there for everyone.”</p>
<p>There is indeed, Ayano thought. And mine isn’t for you.</p>
<p>Kizuna turned to Tokuko then. “What about you, Kitagawa-san?”</p>
<p>“Well…” Tokuko blushed faintly. “I might have a bit of a crush on Sho Kunikida.”</p>
<p>“Oooohh, nice taste.” Kizuna smirked. “I heard he made national news for saving a woman from being mugged by three guys, and took her to the hospital. Is that right?”</p>
<p>“I believe so.” Tokuko smiled. “You know…” She lowered her voice. “I think Yamazaki-kun likes <em>you</em>.”</p>
<p>Kizuna scoffed. “Oh, please. He’s no good for the likes of <em>me</em>.”</p>
<p>Both girls looked towards the curtain as the auditorium lights dimmed. </p>
<p>“It’s about time,” Kizuna said.</p>
<p>“Break a leg,” Ayano wished them.</p>
<p>“Good evening and welcome to Sakuragi Academy’s rousing live performance of Japan’s most famous ghost story, first written in 1825 by Tsuruya Nanboku IV as a kabuki play, <em>Yotsuya Kaidan!</em>” Tsuruzo’s voice boomed as he delivered the curtain speech. “I’m Tsuruzo Yamazaki, the vice president of our illustrious school drama club, who has worked tirelessly on stage and behind the scenes to bring this show to you. Perhaps you have enjoyed our performances of years past, such as <em>The Love Suicide at Amijima</em> or <em>Momojigari</em>. This is our first of this semester, a tale of love, lust, hardships, betrayal, madness, and bloody revenge.”</p>
<p>He lowered his voice slightly, now that the most exciting part of the speech was over. “Reminder to turn off all cell phones and that photography, video recording, and pets are prohibited in the theater. We will have a 15-minute intermission halfway through the show, and emergency exits are located on either side of the stage along with one in the back of the auditorium. Before we begin, I pose one question to you, that you will find on the front page of your program…”</p>
<p>His voice, normally flamboyant as could be, now turned solemn and grim. “‘The bond of parent and child lasts through this world...but that of husband and wife lasts forever. How can you kill one who is your body and soul...who is bound to you for generations to come?’”</p>
<p>Even Ayano had to admit to herself that line sure was haunting.</p>
<p>After a few moments, Tsuruzo spoke again. “Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, the drama club of Sakuragi Academy presents <em>Yotsuya Kaidan</em>. Enjoy the show.”</p>
<p>Applause sounded from the audience as Ayano and the other stagehands pulled back the curtains and turned up the stage lights to start the show.</p>
<p>She scrutinized the faces of those in the audience where, as expected, she found Takao Suzuki.</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p><br/>As the show went on, the backstage crew moved props around between scenes and assisted the actors. As convention dictated in kabuki theater, if they were seen by audience members, they were to be ignored.</p>
<p>Having read the script cover to cover, Ayano knew just what to do, and when.</p>
<p>All she had to do was wait...and wait...and wait...behind the stage wall painted in a dim gray for the dark setting, adorned with rolling black clouds… </p>
<p>Until the iconic moment finally came, at the wedding of Iemon and Oume, just as the ghastly melted face of Oiwa appeared by that of Iemon’s new bride, snarling in rage…</p>
<p>Then Ayano pushed the stage wall so it crashed onto Kizuna and she let out a surprised squeak as she fell to the floor under it.</p>
<p>The other actors froze for a few moments, not sure what to do, until Kizuna awkwardly pushed the stage wall back up behind her, dusted herself off, and abruptly resumed her role as Oiwa, her face suddenly twisting back into the specter’s vengeful glare.</p>
<p>Riku, as Iemon, reacted in turn, jumping back in horror at the countenance of his murdered wife and slashing at her with his sword, only for it to phase through her ghostly form and slice into Oume, who fell down as if dead.</p>
<p>And the show went on.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A little something I found when looking up a framework for Tsuruzo’s curtain speech → http://www.abcplayers.org/history/spotlight/2011_09-10-extra.pdf XD</p>
<p>I was ready to get into some cool description about traditional Japanese wedding garb, which I thought Oume would have been wearing at the scene of her marriage to Iemon, but it turns out Shinto wedding ceremonies and attire didn’t become widespread in Japan until the late 1800s (whereas Yotsuya Kaidan is set in the early 1600s). Before this, men and women were married in Japan, just without the religious significance.</p>
<p>Tsuruzo’s quote during his curtain speech might be confusing if you’re thinking the bond between parent and child lasts an equal or even longer amount of time than that of husband and wife, since even after your parents die, you’ll always be their child, whereas you can get remarried if your spouse dies. But it’s worth noting that many cultures up until recent decades considered marriage to mean leaving the family you were born into and joining your spouse’s family. Husband and wife were considered one flesh, one heart, and one soul upon marriage. Wives in particular sometimes left their entire former lives behind. Shinto wedding customs involved the bride wearing a white kimono before changing into a colorful one partway through the ceremony, which has even been theorized to signify the bride’s death as her parents’ daughter and rebirth into her husband’s family, since white is associated with death in East Asia. For more on traditional Japanese bridal garments and marital customs, I found this really interesting → https://luckyricefield.wordpress.com/2016/01/21/the-truth-behind-the-white-wedding-kimono/ <br/>Nowadays, though, the vast majority of Japanese weddings involve Christian-style attire and ceremonies, despite just 1% of Japanese people being Christian -- more for aesthetic and financial purposes. Kimonos are hella expensive!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the play, a small crowd of cheering audience members had flocked around Kizuna, showering her with praises.</p><p>“Kizuna-sama, you’re amazing!”</p><p>“What would we be without you?”</p><p>“You’re the star of the school!”</p><p>The actress predictably basked in the ego-stroking. “Ohoho, of course! Trust me, this club would be trash if it weren’t for my overflowing talent and charisma!”</p><p>Each member of the backstage crew shot her some icy side-eye as they cleaned up the props, Ayano included.</p><p>Then, she heard a familiar voice.</p><p>“Great job, drama club!” It was Takao, holding a large bouquet of roses. “Just came over to give the stars some flowers.”</p><p>Kizuna grinned smugly. <em>And why shouldn’t she</em>, Ayano thought. She was the star of the show. Ayano was just a stagehand, and one to be regarded as invisible at that.</p><p>“Y’know, nobody ever gives credit to the guys backstage. You’re the real stars of the show!”</p><p>They all did a double-take. But sure enough, Takao had walked right past Kizuna to hold the bouquet out to them.</p><p><em>*GHK!*</em> Kizuna visibly -- and audibly -- bristled. The cheering of her name continued, but it seemed to only further enrage her, as her face turned a slowly deeper shade of red. </p><p><strong>“SUZUKIIII!”</strong> she finally shouted.</p><p>Now it was the backstage crew’s turn to smirk.</p><p>“Wait…” Takao’s eyes widened as he zeroed in on one of them, taking a step closer to her. “Yan-chan...is that you…?”</p><p>Carefully, he lifted the black veil from her face to make sure...not unlike a husband would before kissing the bride.</p><p>This was by no means lost on Ayano.</p><p>The room abruptly faded to black before coming into view again, with Takao’s arm around Ayano’s back.</p><p>“Yan-chan!” he exclaimed, helping her back to her feet. “It sure is stuffy back here...it especially must have been in that all-black outfit.”</p><p>“Well, I...didn’t bring a change of clothes,” she said quietly.</p><p>“Here, why don’t you take this off at least.” Takao lifted the hat and veil off of her, letting her vision be unobscured and her hair flow free. “There. Better?”</p><p>Ayano smiled at him. “Much better. Thanks, <em>senpai</em>.”</p><p>“Sure thing.” He smiled back.</p><p><br/>~</p><p><br/>When everyone settled back in the greenroom, Ayano pulled off her gloves and took Takao’s napkin out of her pocket, wiping away the sweat that had beaded on her brow.</p><p>“AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!” Kizuna roared. “Of course he wouldn’t give <em>me</em> the roses, after that shoddy performance! It was a disaster! Ohh, I may as well disappear from the spotlight entirely!”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Tsuruzo said incredulously. “You did beautifully! There were moments when I quivered in real fear, as I truly believed, down to the marrow in my bones, it was the ghost of Oiwa on that stage!”</p><p>“No! It was ruined! All because of that damn stage wall falling on me! Ghosts don’t have a physical form! Walls can’t land on them, let alone <em>the sky!</em>” Kizuna raged. “Ughh, and I was going to confess my feelings to Suzuki tomorrow. Now I’ll just have to forget about it.”</p><p>Tsuruzo’s eyes widened in horror, as if something previously forgotten had just dawned on him. “Ohh, I knew it! I KNEW IT! Cursed fate that fell upon thee! It can only be the spirit of the slain Oiwa in her anger at us, for not paying proper homage to her place of rest! I TOLD you we should have beseeched her blessing!” He abruptly dropped to one knee before the lead actress. “But fear not, my queen! Even if the pernicious spirit of Oiwa has turned her wrath upon you, I vow to protect you with my life!”</p><p>Furiously, Miyako yanked her hat and veil off her head and slammed it down on the table before marching up to Kizuna. “Would you chill out, princess?! It’s not the end of the damn world, and you’re not the center of the universe!”</p><p>
  <em> <strong>CRACK!</strong> </em>
</p><p>With a force that made everyone in the room jolt, Kizuna had slapped the stagehand hard across the face.</p><p>The girl in black turned slowly towards her assailant, the bright red handprint on her cheek giving way to simmering rage in her eyes. The tense silence was so thick one could cut it with the sword that had pierced Oiwa’s throat. For a moment Ayano thought Miyako would slap Kizuna back.</p><p>But all she said was…</p><p>“<em>This</em> is why Suzuki-senpai couldn’t like you.”</p><p>...Before storming off.</p><p>“I think her first mistake was taking the veil off,” Ayano murmured to Tsuruzo. “Might’ve softened the blow.”</p><p>“Yes, well, we couldn’t be called the drama club if we didn’t live up to our name, for better or for worse,” the vice president said wearily. “You did a <em>fine</em> job, anyways. A natural <em>kuroko</em>. Your stealth was almost eerie...you more than deserved those flowers from Suzuki-kun. I heartily encourage you to take them.”</p><p>Ayano smiled. “Thank you.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you’re interested in further info on Yotsuya Kaidan, here’s some more for you → http://matthewmeyer.net/blog/2010/10/31/a-yokai-a-day-oiwa-the-ghost-story-of-yotsuya/<br/>I’ve never been to Japan so if anything, heh, happens to me before I can finish this story…^^;</p><p>Also, not really important to the story, but if anyone remembers the “Holy Matrimony!” episode of Pokémon (one of my favorites!), Jessie’s and Meowth’s “invisible” disguises were meant to look like those of kuroko. But since this is a Team Rocket disguise we’re talking about, it totally doesn’t work. Especially since most Japanese people have black hair, but Jessie has bright red hair that she didn’t bother to cover. XD The kuroko costume is also referenced in the DLC “stagehand hat” in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.</p><p>The all-black kuroko outfit is actually where the conventional portrayal of ninjas in all black came from, although in reality, ninjas maintained their invisibility by dressing as commoners -- hiding in plain sight, if you will.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Reminder that I changed Asu Rito / Asuka Kumagai to Yoko Suzukaze. See the note in Chapter 2 for more details.<br/>Description is also slightly different since, although Sakuragi’s students have quite a bit of freedom to dye their hair and customize their uniforms, I imagine there’s a limit. And I like Asu’s original hairstyle better (https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/yandere-simulator/images/d/dd/Nonspecificallysportygirl.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151116101007). </p>
<p>Yoko’s arc takes place in the month before Sakuragi’s sports festival. In Japan, schools across the nation hold an all-day sports festival (運動会, undokai) every year. This was usually held in October, although some schools have it in May or June, especially in recent years. According to Japan Times, “Oct. 10 is a popular date because the national holiday marks the opening ceremony for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and some schools devote more than a month of preparation for the big day of contests.” For more information, sprint on over here → https://www.tofugu.com/japan/undoukai-sports-festival/</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>“Yoko Suzukaze is the president of the sports club. She’s athletic, cheerful, and perpetually energetic. She’s welcoming to anyone who wants to start getting more athletic.”</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>“She can be quite competitive and she never turns down a challenge. If she loses or fails to reach her personal standards, she’ll push herself and practice over and over until she wins.”</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p><em>Yet another one, huh?</em> Ayano thought wearily when she read Info-chan’s texts about her next rival. She was starting to feel worse and worse about herself with each one. Were there really so many girls that Takao could prefer to her?</p>
<p>But once she got a glimpse of them, she could see it. They were pretty, popular, outgoing… Even Izayoi and Kizuna had been more intriguing than her. Had she lived, Momo would have gotten herself a lucky man.</p>
<p>But not Ayano’s <em>senpai</em>.</p>
<p>She could practically feel the possessiveness coursing through her after what she saw late that Monday afternoon.</p>
<p>“You’re lagging again! C’mon, <em>senpai!</em>” Yoko called as she sped across the track, Takao scrambling behind. “You can catch up! I believe in you!”</p>
<p>“That’s two whole laps! You did much better than last time, <em>senpai!</em>” she cheered when they reached the end. Takao looked at the two water bottles and towels on the bench like they had been dropped straight from Heaven. “Uh, <em>senpai?</em> You ok?”</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” Takao panted as he toweled off his hair, which had become damp with sweat. “Thanks, by the way. I’m surprised you haven’t given up on me yet, Yoko-san.”</p>
<p>“Of course not!” Yoko grinned. “We’re the same, y’know; don’t stop til you reach the goal, no matter what! Here!” She handed him a water bottle.</p>
<p>“Ah.” Smiling, Takao took it, before crushing it in his hand and dumping its contents over his head.</p>
<p>“Pfffttt, sorry,” he said as he wiped the side of his face on his arm, water dripping from his hair and face and glistening in the evening sunset as he looked sideways at Yoko. “I thought it’d be funny, but it’s a mess. Do I look presentable?”</p>
<p>Yoko gaped at him, blushing. “Yeah, you’re fine.”</p>
<p>It had taken calculated effort for Ayano to stay on the path to the school gate as she watched the whole scene unfold, her fists clenched all the while.</p>
<p>When she unfurled her fingers, there were tiny dots of blood under her nails and on her palms.</p>
<p><br/>~</p>
<p><br/>“I’m so ready for the sports festival,” Shima Shibahara, a girl in Ayano’s class and a member of the martial arts club, gushed the next morning at school. She turned to Mai Wakahara. “I hope you have plenty of hairbands, Wakahara-san.”</p>
<p>“Ohh, I know,” Mai said, running both hands through her cascade of pink hair, that almost reached her ankles.</p>
<p>“Girl, you could put it in a crown braid if you wanted,” Hoshiko chimed in, eyes wide. “Your hair has to be <em>really</em> long for that.”</p>
<p>“I think I’m gonna have to,” Mai quipped.</p>
<p>“I hope we win this year,” Saki said excitedly.</p>
<p>“I just want the melon-pan,” Kiba Kawaito muttered.</p>
<p>“You ok, Yan-chan?” Takao asked her.</p>
<p>Ayano supposed some of her distress was showing on her face. “Yeah, I’m just...tired,” she heard herself say.</p>
<p>Takao smiled. “If it’s any help, the school’s starting to get ready for the sports festival. That could give you a break.”</p>
<p><em>And Yoko Suzukaze is the president of the sports club.</em> Jealousy instantly pulsated through Ayano, so much she knew it must have been showing.</p>
<p>She turned her face away to hide it. “Yeah, it could.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure you’re ok, Yan-chan?” Takao asked.</p>
<p>“I- I’m sorry, <em>senpai</em>, I can’t really talk right now.” With that, she walked away.</p>
<p>“Yan-chan…?”</p>
<p>In the time before class, she tried to calm herself, so she could at least think straight...but what use was it? She had tried that for a year upon entering high school, to suppress the ire and fierce jealousy that gripped her every time she saw a girl approach Takao...and somehow it seemed even worse now.</p>
<p>Though this intense possessiveness over Takao had always unnerved her, even scared her, it clung like a leech. Her love for him was the strongest thing she had ever felt, yet she felt so vulnerable for it at the same time. She couldn’t lose him. Just thinking of it made her shiver.</p>
<p>That afternoon she made her way under the hot sun to the school gym, just before the sports club meeting.</p>
<p>Among five guys there, presumably doing warm-ups, she spotted a girl with blonde hair tied back in a short ponytail, tanned skin, and sea green eyes. Muscles rippled through her arms and legs as she stretched. She paused when she saw Ayano.</p>
<p>“Hey, I haven’t seen you around before,” she said. “What brings you here?”</p>
<p>“You’re Suzukaze-san, the president of the sports club, right?” Ayano asked. “My class really wants to win the sports festival this year, so I’ve been looking to get a little more athletic.”</p>
<p>“That’s me indeed!” Yoko piped. “I’d love to have you join the sports club, but aren’t you already in the drama club, Aishi-san?”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t going to join, actually, I just wanted a little practice before the festival,” Ayano explained. “Sorry if I got your hopes up there. I know you’re the only girl in the club.”</p>
<p>“Ohh, it’s no problem!” Yoko grinned. “It’d be refreshing to even just practice with another girl. The guys get a little...hot-blooded.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“Last year a few of them were harassing a first-year girl out on the track, who I guess in hindsight had gotten lost there, to the point that I told them they wouldn’t be allowed on the sports team that year if they kept it up,” Yoko explained sternly. “So it could be just the two of us practicing together after club meetings are over, if you’d be more comfortable with that.”</p>
<p>“Sounds good to me.” Ayano nodded.</p>
<p>“Sure thing!” Yoko grinned again. “Looking forward to it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I recently saw a comment on r/Osana saying ten rivals could get repetitive and it might be better to have eight or five. While I could understand this with the canon rivals currently being little more than archetypes, I think ten rivals could work as long as each one had a unique and interesting arc, like what FluorescenceFuture came up with, especially if the game showed a prior cutscene of each rival with Senpai like those in Fluor’s comics. For this, even though there are a few rivals I’m not 100% sure what to do with, there’s gonna have to be ten since I’m a bad writer who can’t properly build up to a climax.</p>
<p>Annnnd there being a few rivals left that I’m not entirely sure what to do with, along with school having started up again for me, also means my chapter-per-day streak might be broken after Chapter 17. But I’ll still write for this and post chapters as regularly as I can.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re going to get a tan at this rate, Aishi-san!” Yoko laughed during practice on Thursday evening.</p>
<p>“You’re telling me,” Ayano panted.</p>
<p>“Actually…” Yoko stepped towards her and looked more closely. “I think you have a little already.”</p>
<p>“Do you stay tan year-round, Suzukaze-san?” Ayano asked.</p>
<p>“Almost,” Yoko replied. “I get a little paler in the winter, but that’s it. My grandma is <em>really</em> pale compared to me, and she’d always chew me out for being darker, especially in the summer. She’d say it was unattractive, I had to be paler, give me white makeup and things.”</p>
<p>“Wow,” Ayano said.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Yoko took a sip from her water bottle. “But I’m named ‘sunshine child,’ what does she expect from me?”</p>
<p>Ayano laughed at that before taking a long sip from her own water bottle.</p>
<p>“It sure works up a sweat, doesn’t it? You did a lot better this time!” Yoko said. “If you want, we could go for a swim after showering. That always cools me down.”</p>
<p><em>Could she have asked Takao-senpai this after practice with him too…?</em> Ayano thought grimly.</p>
<p>She lowered her water bottle from her lips. “Sure thing.”</p>
<p>“Great! Let’s go, then. I’ll race you to the bathhouse.”</p>
<p>They sped over to it, Yoko predictably emerging victorious.</p>
<p><em>But not for long,</em> Ayano thought.</p>
<p>Her original plan had been to get Yoko over to the school entrance, then run up to the rooftop by herself, place five dumbbells into the bucket used at cleaning time, and drop it onto Yoko’s head. But she and the sports club president had spent the past three practice sessions entirely on the track, so it had looked like there was no feasible way to get her to linger at the school entrance long enough. Bludgeoning Yoko over the head with one of the dumbbells was an option too, but it seemed risky. Ayano had been feeling discouraged and worried that she would have to come up with something at the last minute...until now.</p>
<p>Just before taking her swimsuit out of her locker after showering, she checked the time on her phone. 5:30 pm. She would have to be quick about this.</p>
<p>After the girls made their way to the pool, Yoko bounced up the steps and dived into the water in an almost perfect arc.</p>
<p>“Ahhh,” she breathed when she resurfaced. “That hit the spot.”</p>
<p>Ayano stepped down the ladder close behind, stiffening as she submerged in the cool water before quickly wading out towards the other girl. No time to adjust to it.</p>
<p>Yoko smiled at her. “It feels pretty nice, doesn’t it?”</p>
<p>“Yep,” Ayano said, taking a second to look around the premises. No lifeguard in sight.</p>
<p>The fiery light of the dying sun glowed in the distance, painting the clouds orange and dappling on the surface of the water.</p>
<p>“The sunset sure is beautiful.”</p>
<p>Yoko turned to gaze at it. “Ohh, yeah… <strong>AAAAHHH--!</strong>”</p>
<p>The beams of wan sunlight on the water’s surface were upset by Yoko’s desperate splashing as she flailed underneath, against the other girl’s grip. Ayano held her there as hard as she could, keeping her own feet flat on the floor of the pool, her left hand grasping the back of Yoko’s swimsuit and the fingernails of her right hand sinking into her scalp. She held as tightly as she could, pushing Yoko deeper and deeper the more her victim tried to ascend, even when water splashed into her face and she felt a few hard kicks to her shins...just hold fast...a little longer…</p>
<p>Until Yoko’s flailing and kicking slowed to a stop and her screaming fell silent, her body bobbing limply to the surface as Ayano’s grip tentatively loosened.</p>
<p>Ayano waited twenty seconds for any sign of life, on alert just in case. No response.</p>
<p>She dragged Yoko’s lifeless body out of the water, then vigorously toweled it off before carefully making her way down the steps out of the pool area with the corpse slung over her shoulder. Just a little ways to the incinerator… Ayano thanked her lucky stars the sun wasn’t as hot now and there was hardly anyone still on campus.</p>
<p>Entering the safety of the walled area around the incinerator, Ayano placed Yoko’s corpse on the ground momentarily to open the machine’s metal doors, wrinkling her nose as the faint scent of trash and burnt ashes wafted up from it. Taking a few steps away, she picked Yoko’s body back up and placed it in the furnace. The doors clanked shut as she closed them, then the fire flared to life as she turned it on, embers glowing in the iron grates and black smoke belching from the chimney.</p>
<p>The school clock hadn’t chimed yet, but just in case, Ayano hurried back to the locker room and checked her phone, breathing a sigh of relief she hadn’t realized she was holding when it read 5:58pm.</p>
<p>There wasn’t any time to change out of her swimsuit, but that was ok. She and her <em>senpai</em> were safe now.</p>
<p>So why did she still feel unsure of that?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I originally typed “Ayano waited twenty seconds for any sign of life, on her guard just in case,” and it was only then that I remembered lifeguards are a thing. Which in hindsight busts a hole in Osana’s canon elimination method. XD For this, I imagine there would be a lifeguard on duty at least during the sports club meetings, but he or she would leave after that.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>How could a teenage girl commit murder, right? How could an innocent little schoolgirl do such a thing, let alone cover up the act?</p>
<p>
  <em>“That manipulative little schoolgirl put on the best act I've ever seen.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She cried nonstop, feigned ignorance at every opportunity, and had an excuse for every accusation leveled at her.”</em>
</p>
<p>How could a young girl have a heart so defiled, a mind so sick and twisted?</p>
<p>
  <em>“The court fell in love with her. The media fell in love with her. The entire damn nation fell in love with her.”</em>
</p>
<p>However you sliced it, that was what she was.</p>
<p>
  <em>“She called me a dirty pervert who enjoyed leering at schoolgirls.”</em>
</p>
<p>Nothing would ever excuse it in Usagi’s eyes.</p>
<p>
  <em>“She called me a fame-seeking yellow journalist.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>Nothing.</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“She claimed that I only accused her of murder for sensational headlines.”</em>
</p>
<p>Young women could do anything like that, Usagi swore. Especially if they were pretty. Just shed some tears and make themselves the victim of some terrible act, that was all it took to get out of a speeding ticket or some kind of personal responsibility. It was how this one had literally gotten away with murder.</p>
<p>
  <em>“And the court bought every word of it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The day the judge declared her innocent, the entire country celebrated like it was a damn holiday.”</em>
</p>
<p>No matter whose lives it ruined.</p>
<p>
  <em>“From that day forward, I was a national disgrace. I was known across the nation as a lecherous journalist who stalked schoolgirls and tried to throw a girl in prison to boost his own career.”</em>
</p>
<p>Even those beyond the students and school.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I saw disgust in the eyes of every person who looked at me.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My house and my car were vandalized every day for weeks.”</em>
</p>
<p>Even Usagi’s father.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Needless to say, I was never able to work as a journalist again.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The police department that arrested the girl was also the subject of national criticism.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They were accused of being incompetent fools who would arrest anybody without sufficient evidence.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Ever since then, the police in that town have been extremely lenient in an attempt to repair their reputation...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>...and don't want to go anywhere near the local high school except for extremely brief periods of time.”</em>
</p>
<p>That depraved, execrable, vicious little bitch had torn apart the lives of so many just to further her own selfish interests. Whatever ignorant fool claimed after something like this that high school girls were harmless had Usagi’s bottomless contempt.</p>
<p>
  <em>“That girl, from 1989...she’s a grown woman by now, but she’s never been punished for the sins of her youth.”</em>
</p>
<p>In her rage, Usagi had to find at least the name of this vile woman that had obliterated all traces of dignity and purpose in her father’s life with baseless accusations and filthy lies.</p>
<p>After sifting through newspaper articles from around April 1989, though they had been undoubtedly biased in the girl’s favor, Usagi finally found her. The description fit her like a glove.</p>
<p>Ryoba Aishi.</p>
<p>And that day, when she saw, even from afar, jealousy flare in the eyes of that first-year upon seeing Suzuki-san with another girl, saw her stalk the boy all the way back to his home, saw the clear filial resemblance, and found out her name as the final nail in the coffin…</p>
<p>Ayano Aishi.</p>
<p>Every time Usagi saw her, that jade from Ryoba’s polluted womb, she wanted nothing more than to stick a thousand knives in her. But no. That wouldn’t be good enough. Usagi had to go for the slow burn.</p>
<p>Now, ever since Usagi’s father had finally gotten a lead on Ryoba, after over a decade, he was tracking her down to turn her in once and for all. No more running from the law. But that wasn’t enough for Usagi. There was only one law she believed in. <em>Lex talionis</em>.</p>
<p>
  <em>“No games… It’s simple.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I want to see Hachimitsu-san suffer…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“And I think you’re the best person for the job. That’s all.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Is that really what this is all about?”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“You just want to see girls suffer?”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s a bit more complex than that, but let’s keep things simple for now…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Remember, you have until Friday to deal with your new rival.”</em>
</p>
<p>She knew that Ayano <em>would</em> have to eliminate every girl that set her sights on Suzuki-san by Friday of that week. If she failed, there would be no forgiveness, no moving on, no trying to break up the new couple over the weekend. Suzuki-san would have crossed a threshold he could never return from. Ayano could never trust him to be completely hers if he had been another girl’s in the past. She had to be his one and only love. She wouldn’t take another girl’s leavings. Such was her possessiveness.</p>
<p><em>This is going to destroy her</em>, Usagi thought. <em>I’ll make sure of it.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>When not referring to the precious stone, as a noun, “jade” can be basically a synonym for “slut.” Here, it also serves as a double entendre for “green-eyed” monster of jealousy. ;)</p>
<p>Reminder that, with there being a few rivals left that I’m not 100% sure what to do with and school having started up again for me, my chapter-per-day streak might be broken after this. But I’ll still write for this and post chapters as regularly as I can.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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